Gideon v. Wainwright is responsible for changing the criminal justice system by granting criminal defendants the right to an attorney, even if they can't afford one on their own. The Court ruled that under the Sixth Amendment, state and federal courts were to respect the rights of the accused and allow them the opportunity to defend themselves.

Clarence E. Gideon was a poor career criminal and unlikely judicial hero who helped shape the criminal justice system. In 1961, Gideon was accused of breaking into a Panama City, Florida pool hall and stealing beer, wine, and money. In trial court, Gideon requested counsel but a state judge reminded him that under Florida law, the state only provided a lawyer when the defendant faced the death penalty.

Gideon had no choice but to represent himself and was sentenced to prison. Taking matters further into his hands, Gideon petitioned the Florida Supreme Court claiming his imprisonment was a violation of his right to counsel and challenging the lower court's ruling as unlawful because the state did not provide him with a lawyer. After the Florida Supreme Court dismissed his petition, Gideon submitted it to the Supreme Court. In a unanimous ruling, the Court decided in favor of Gideon, and it has since become one of the most important criminal law decisions in U.S. history.

Explainers